Anne Hathaway’s Odyssey-Inspired Gown Steals the 2026 Met Gala

Anne Hathaway basically used the Met steps as a billboard for her next role, and I mean that as a compliment. Fresh off launching The Devil Wears Prada 2, she rolled up to the 2026 Met Gala already previewing her pivot to Christopher Nolan territory.

A dress with a mission

Hathaway, 32, hit the Metropolitan Museum of Art steps on Monday, May 4, in a black, strapless Michael Kors gown with a plunging neckline, plus Bulgari jewels. The whole look leaned mythic: the train was embellished with a scene of Penelope releasing a bird — a very specific wink at her character in Nolan's The Odyssey, which is slated for a July release. Given this year’s Met theme, 'Costume Art,' the message landed clearly and theatrically.

This was Hathaway’s ninth Met Gala since she first attended in 2009, and it doubled as a neat handoff between chapters. She’s spent days talking fashion while promoting The Devil Wears Prada 2, which opened Friday, May 1. The gown’s Penelope moment pretty much said: Prada press done, Odyssey era engaged.

From Prada to Penelope

Hathaway’s red-carpet pivot isn’t subtle, and that’s the fun of it. You don’t put your next heroine on your train unless you’re ready to change the subject. Prada 2 is out now; Nolan’s Greek epic is next in line. Box checked. Page turned.

How she actually dresses off the carpet

Despite being one of Hollywood ’s most consistently sharp dressers, Hathaway told People late last month that she’s more of a tomboy in real life. Being a mom to two boys has shaped her style — she says she needs to jump from a serious meeting to a basketball court without changing, and be ready for pickup hoops in pretty much anything she’s wearing.

'When you get dressed in the morning, dress wisely because you 100 percent are going to have a projectile thrown at you, probably by the end of breakfast.'

(For context: she and husband Adam Shulman share two sons — Jonathan, 10, and Jack, 6.)

Where she stands with fashion

In a 2024 V Magazine chat, Hathaway framed herself as a guest in the fashion world, not a full-time resident. She was careful about crediting the people who actually live and breathe it — the ones who train for it, chase full show cycles across cities, and do the stamina-and-schlep routine as their day job. She’s studied the craft informally, loves fashion photography, knows the history, and appreciates the kindness she’s been shown by the pros. But she was clear about her order of operations: she’s an actor first.

Bottom line: Hathaway used the Met Gala to tee up Nolan’s The Odyssey without saying a word. Expect more mythic breadcrumbs between now and July.